| Athirappilly Falls | |
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 Interactive map of Athirappilly Falls | |
| Location | Athirappilly,Chalakudy Taluk,Thrissur District,Kerala,India |
| Coordinates | 10°17′5″N76°34′7″E / 10.28472°N 76.56861°E /10.28472; 76.56861 |
| Type | Segmented |
| Elevation | 120 m (390 ft) |
| Total height | 25 m (82 ft) |
| Number of drops | 4 |
| Longest drop | 51 m (167 ft) |
| Total width | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Watercourse | Chalakkudi River |
| Average flow rate | 52 m3/s (1,836 cu ft/s) |
Athirappilly Falls (Malayalam:[ɐd̪iɾɐpːiɭːi]) is situated inAthirappilly Panchayat inChalakudy Taluk ofThrissur District inKerala,India on theChalakudy River, which originates from the upper reaches of theWestern Ghats at the entrance to the Sholayar ranges. It is the largest waterfall in Kerala, which stands tall at 81.5 feet. Just a short drive from Athirappilly is theVazhachal Falls, which is close to dense green forests that are home to many endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna.
Athirappilly Falls is the largest waterfall in Kerala and is nicknamed "TheNiagara of South India".[1]
Controversy about a state-proposed hydroelectric dam on the Chalakudy River above the waterfalls began in the 1990s and continued through 2017.
The 145 kilometres (90 mi) long Chalakudy River, originates in theAnaimalai mountains of theWestern Ghats[2] and flows through the Vazhachal Forest toward the Arabian Sea. The river starts off smooth but becomes more turbulent as it nears Athirapilly. At Athirappilly Falls, the water surges around big rocks and cascades down in three separate plumes. Below the falls, the river remains turbulent for about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) until it reaches Kannamkuzhi, from where it calms and flows smoothly until reaching the dam at Thumpoormuzhi.[citation needed]
Forest wildlife in the area includes theIndian elephant,Bengal tiger,Indian leopard,gaur,sambar, andlion-tailed macaque. The unique 180 metres (590 ft) elevation riparian forest in the Athirappilly-Vazhachal area is the only location where all four South Indian species of hornbills — thegreat hornbill (the state bird of Kerala),Malabar pied hornbill,Malabar grey hornbill, and theIndian grey hornbill are found living together.
Plantations in the area containteak,bamboo, andeucalyptus. Environmentalists claim that Athirappilly is a one-of-its-kind riparian ecosystem in Kerala. V.S. Vijayan, Chairman of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board and former Director of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), Coimbatore, has been quoted in Down to Earth magazine as affirming that the Vazhachal forest division is the second most biodiverse area in the State. The International Bird Association has declared it an ‘Important Bird Area' and the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation has recommended that the area should be declared a sanctuary or a national park, he points out. The Wildlife Trust of India says it represents one of India's best elephant conservation efforts. "Any disruption to this fragile ecosystem will spell disaster," says Vijayan.[3] The river provides a habitat for 85 species of freshwater fishes. Among these, 35 are endemic species.[citation needed]
The railway station nearest to Athirappilly Falls,30 kilometres (19 mi) to the west, isChalakkudy Railway Station, and the nearest airport isCochin International Airport, about55 kilometres (34 mi) southwest of the waterfall and58 kilometres (36 mi) south of city ofThrissur.[4] Athirappilly is easily reachable fromChalakkudy by taxi or by bus from theChalakkudy bus terminal. Athirappilly is situated on a state highway connectingTamil Nadu andKerala, in a thick forest and so night travel is not permitted. The checkpoints at either end close by 6:30 pmIST prior to which all vehicles have to exit through either checkpoint.
The journey fromChalakkudy to the Athirappilly Falls passes through a landscape of winding roads, small villages and lush green trees. Visitors can reach the top of the waterfall via a paved path that leads through thick bamboo clusters. From Angamaly, the route is in the midst of an Oil Palm Reserve at Ezhattumugham tourism village. A steep narrow path or a wide staired path can be taken to the bottom of the falls. The falls attract visitors from across India, especially during themonsoon months (June–September). About 7 million tourists visit the falls and the Vazhachal picnic spot each year.[5]
Daily jungle safari trips are organized by Thrissur District Tourism Promotion Council with Athirappilly Destination Management Council fromChalakudy to Malakkappara.
Athirappilly falls has been used as a location for severalMalayalam films as well as in otherregional language films in India
In 1994, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a 163-megawatt Athirappilly Hydro Electric Project. It was to include a dam23 metres (75 ft) high and311 metres (1,020 ft) wide on the Chalakudy River in the Vazhachal Forest Division about5 kilometres (3 mi) upstream of Athirappilly Falls and400 metres (1,312 ft) upstream of Vazhachal Rapids (Vazhachal Falls).[6] However, environmental groups and people's collectives opposed the project on grounds that it would damage the environment, infringe on human rights, and threaten tourism.[7] Though it was not their main concern, critics also noted that if the entire course of the river were diverted to make electricity, the Athirappilly-Vazhachal waterfalls could dry up. To avoid damaging the falls, the KSEB proposed adjusting the water releases to maintain the falls.[8] The debate continued in 2007. Environmentalists also expressed concern over whether the proposed hydroelectric project at Athirappilly waterfalls would lead to displacement and eventual extinction of the primitive tribal group, 'Kadars,' in the area.[9]
In 2005, the Kerala Ministry of Environment and Forests approved the project on the basis of a report by Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Ltd. (WAPCOS), anenvironmental impact assessment (EIA) agency. In 2006, theKerala High Court quashed the clearance and ordered another public hearing.[10][11] The debate continued for the following years.
On 29 January 2011, the chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP)Madhav Gadgil opined that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Athirappilly hydel power project was not properly carried out and 70% of it is bogus. The panel, appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, was asked to look into and give recommendations on various projects in the Western Ghats such as the hydroelectric projects in Gundiya in Karnataka and Athirappilly in Kerala and the overall development projects in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. Gadgil said that the proposed Athirappilly hydro-electric project cannot be approved until the Forest Rights Act is implemented in its true spirit for the Kadar tribal community of the area and also no comprehensive study had been carried out so far on the natural riparian forest vegetation along the Western Ghats.[12][13][14] On 14 June 2011, Union Minister for Environment and ForestsJairam Ramesh said his ministry would not approve the Athirappilly hydroelectric project.[15] The minister also stated, “When states are denied such projects on larger and long-term environmental considerations, they are entitled to some sort of green bonus."[16] The first part of the WGEEP report was submitted to the Ministry on 31 August. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), on 6 September 2011 recommended to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests against granting permission to carry out any construction activities at the sensitive Athirappilly-Vazhachal region. The panel, which submitted its report to Union Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan in the capital, named Athirappilly as one of the 18 eco-sensitive localities (ESL) in the state.[17] But K. Radhakrishnan, a former member (generation), of KSEB, has opined that this panel report was highly biased with vested interests and the project was eco-friendly doing minimum damage to the environment and forests because KSEB itself has its own vested interests if the Dam Project takes life.[18][19][20] While there are reports from renowned experts from the Kerala State Biodiversity Board that the power project would adversely affect the ecology of the area and the estimated power output would be dependable upon the rainfall and dry summer seasons, which is undependable in its own way. M. Sivasankar, a KSEB chairman and MD states the need of more environment-friendly power projects with lower operating costs and higher output likesupercritical boiler plants.
Tourist attractions inThrissur | ||
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| Dams |   | |
| Beaches and waterfalls | ||
| Forts and palaces | ||
| Boatraces | ||
| Parks and zoos | ||
| Exhibitions and film festivals | ||
| Buildings | ||
| Festivals | ||
| Prehistoric | ||
| Museums | ||
